Lid for upright pianos.



T. E. STEINWAY.

LID FOR UPRIGHT PIANOS.

APPLIOATION FILED 00131, 1910.

Patented July 18, 1911.

OOLUIIIA PuNoaRArn 60.,WA3MINOTON D c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE E. STEINWAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LID FOR UPRIGHT PIANOS.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE E. STEIN- \VAY, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing in New York, in the borough of Manhattan, inthe county and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Lids for Upright Pianos, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to upright piano cases in which the lid slidesbodily within the case for opening or closing the piano. These slidinglids are usually provided with grooves on their opposite ends whichengage horizontal ribs on the side-walls of the case. In order to securean accurate sliding movement commensurate with the fine work in pianos,the ribs and grooves are made to fit as closely as practicable toprevent wabbling of the lid. Consequently they are liable to bind,causing stoppage of the lid and annoyance to the pianist.

The object of this invention is to avoid this objection and to providemeans in con nection with such lids for securing a free and smoothmovement in opening or closing a piano. To this end the sliding lid isprovided at its inner edge near its opposite ends with brackets whichcarry anti-friction rollers which are set in from the end edges of thelid in position to engage the edges of the ribs or ways as distinguishedfrom the upper or lower faces thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical transversesection through the key-board, fall-board, sliding lid and desk of anupright piano embodying this improvement, the parts being in closedposition. Fig. 2 is a like section, being drawn on a larger scale andshowing the fall-board swung back over the lid, and the latter ready tobe moved back into open position. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the slidinglid, with a portion broken away. Fig. 4 represents on a larger scale afragment of one of the side-walls of the piano in horizontal section, aplan of the ribbed way thereon and a plan of an inner corner of thesliding lid provided with this improvement, parts being broken out forbetter illustration. Fig. 5 represents in vertical section a fragment ofone of the side-walls of the piano case and its rib or way also in vertical section and an elevation of the rear Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed October .31, 1910.

Patented July 18, 1911.

Serial No. 589,948.

edge of a fragment of a sliding lid pro vided with this improvement.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in differentfigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, (4 represents the key-bottom, b the keys. 0the sliding-lid and (Z the desk of an upright piano. The vertical sidewalls '22 of the piano case between which the lid slides are provided,re spectively as usual, with horizontal ribs to constituting ways. Thesliding lid 0 is provided at its front with the usual fall-board chinged thereto. This fall-board rests on the front ledge of thekey-bottom 7) when in closed posit-ion as shown in full lines in Fig. 1,and on the top of the sliding lid in open position as shown in dottedlines in Fig. l and full lines in Fig. 2. The sliding lid is alsoprovided at its opposite ends with the usual grooves 50 sunk into itsedges. These grooves preferably fit the ways or ribs in so as to supportthe lid and permit it to slide smoothly without wabbling. Thisimprovement consists in applying to the old parts thus describedanti-friction rollers in such positions and relations thereto as tosecure in conjunction therewith a smooth even and unobstructed movementof the sliding lid in opening or closing the piano. To this end thesliding lid 0 is provided at its rear edge near its opposite ends withbrackets secured thereto by screws or otherwise. These brackets carryanti-friction rollers 7 which are journaled therein vertically orapproximately so. Each roller is set in from the end of the lid in suchposition that its periphery projects slightly beyond the bottom of thegrooves, whereby it is adapted to engage the edge of the rib or way 10while the projecting lips y 2 (see Fig. form the sides of said grooveand engage the upper and lower faces of said rib or way.

For opening the piano the fall-board is first swung up over the lid,after which the lid is moved in backward direction until the fall-boardabuts against the cushions 1" on the lower front-wall of the case asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The desk which is hinged to the case atits upper end, is then moved in a forward direction, as shown in Fig. 1,so as to bring the music supported thereon closer to the pianist. Whenthe piano is to be closed, the lid is moved forward until arrested bythe stops 6 abutting against the rear part of the lower front-wall ofthe case, after which the fall-board is moved into closed position, asshown in Fig. 1. Under this improvement with anti-friction rollersapplied to the lid adjacent to the grooves and in position to engage theedges of the ribs or ways, the ribs and grooves may fit comparativelyclose so as to secure smooth movement of the lid, and yet avoid bindingor stoppage thereof in opening and closing the piano.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. The combination with v rtical sides of an upright piano case,horizontal ribs there on constituting ways and a sliding lid having atall-board in front and provided with grooves at its opposite endsengaging said *ays, of anti-friction rollers set in from the ends oisaid sliding lid and projecting beends of said lid and projecting beyondthe bottoms of said grooves and engaging the edges of said ribs.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, it have signedmy name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses PAUL Goernn, JOHN MUR'riioi-L Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,Washington, D. C.

